Where Did the Word “Hobby” For an Activity Done in Leisure Come From and What Does it Mean?

Hobby is a word used to describe an avocation done for diversion or self-pleasure.

Few people find fulfillment working for someone else, and so many express their individuality within a hobby.

The word comes from a toy made from a stick with a horse’s head that children used to ride.

It was called a hobby horse, and, like the child at play, anyone pursuing a hobby was doing it for escapism and pleasure, not money.